Total Rewards & People Operations - Assistant Manager

Grant Thornton Ireland; Makati; On-site; PHP 1,800,000 - 3,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Grant Thornton Ireland is seeking an experienced Total Rewards professional to support global compensation, benefits, recognition, and payroll governance in the Philippines. You will partner with the Global Total Rewards COE, act as a liaison with Global Rewards stakeholders, and localize global reward programs for compliance and effectiveness.

You will develop analytics, dashboards and reports on compensation trends, internal equity, benefits utilization and workforce metrics, while leading

Qualifications

• 6-8 years of progressive HR experience with exposure to compensation, benefits, rewards & recognition, payroll governance, and People Operations.
• 2-3 years of leadership or supervisory experience managing HR Operations, Payroll, or Total Rewards teams.
• Experience in Shared Services, BPO, Professional Services, or multinational organizations is preferred.
• Strong understanding of Philippine labor laws and statutory requirements impacting compensation, benefits, and payroll.
• Experience with compensation benchmarking, job evaluation, and salary review cycles.
• Experience working with HRIS platforms and workforce analytics tools.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Global Total Rewards COE to execute the Firm's and GCS's global rewards strategy.
• Serve as the primary liaison between GCS Philippines and Global Rewards stakeholders.
• Support localization and implementation of global compensation, benefits, recognition, and rewards initiatives.
• Provide market intelligence on Philippines compensation and benefits trends.
• Support global compensation planning cycles, annual review processes, and governance activities.
• Participate in regional/global Total Rewards projects and transformation initiatives.
• Ensure local compliance requirements are incorporated into global reward programs.
• Lead governance of employee benefits programs and drive improvements in Rewards & Recognition.
• Develop analytics and reporting to measure program effectiveness and employee value perception.
• Develop dashboards and executive reports covering compensation trends, internal equity, benefits utilization, cost analyses, and workforce metrics.
• Provide payroll governance oversight, ensure timely payroll processing and compliance reporting.
• Coach Payroll Specialists to ensure high-quality service delivery and process compliance.
• Lead People Operations team in onboarding, movements, promotions, transfers, offboarding, and HRIS transactions.
• Establish service standards and drive continuous improvement in processes.
• Support HR policy and process improvements and stakeholder management across HR and business leaders.

Skills

Analytical skills

Data interpretation

Stakeholder management

Payroll governance

HR systems

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR/Business

Tools

HRIS platforms

Workforce analytics tools

Job description

• Partner closely with the Global Total Rewards Centre of Excellence (COE) to support the execution of the Firm's and GCS's global rewards strategy.
• Act as the primary liaison between GCS Philippines and Global Rewards stakeholders.
• Support the localization and implementation of global compensation, benefits, recognition, and rewards initiatives.
• Provide market intelligence and insights on compensation and benefits trends within the Philippines labor market.
• Support global compensation planning cycles, annual review processes, and reward program governance activities.
• Participate in regional or global Total Rewards projects and transformation initiatives.
• Ensure local compliance requirements are incorporated into global reward programs without compromising strategic alignment.

Key Responsibilities

JOB DESCRIPTION

Global Rewards Strategy Support

• Partner closely with the Global Total Rewards Centre of Excellence (COE) to support the execution of the Firm's and GCS's global rewards strategy.
• Act as the primary liaison between GCS Philippines and Global Rewards stakeholders.
• Support the localization and implementation of global compensation, benefits, recognition, and rewards initiatives.
• Provide market intelligence and insights on compensation and benefits trends within the Philippines labor market.
• Support global compensation planning cycles, annual review processes, and reward program governance activities.
• Participate in regional or global Total Rewards projects and transformation initiatives.
• Ensure local compliance requirements are incorporated into global reward programs without compromising strategic alignment.

Benefits, Rewards & Recognition Support

• Manage the operational governance of employee benefits programs.
• Conduct benefits competitiveness reviews and recommend program enhancements.
• Monitor vendor performance and benefits administration effectiveness.
• Lead the administration and continuous improvement of Rewards & Recognition programs.
• Develop analytics and reporting to measure program effectiveness and employee value perception.

Rewards Analytics & Governance

• Develop dashboards and executive reports covering:
  • Compensation trends
  • Internal equity
  • Benefits utilization
  • Cost analysis
  • Workforce metrics
• Ensure compliance with data privacy requirements and compensation governance standards.
• Support internal and external audits involving compensation and benefits programs.

Payroll Governance & Leadership

• Provide governance and operational oversight of payroll activities delivered by the Payroll Specialist(s).
• Ensure accurate and timely payroll processing, statutory remittances, and compliance reporting.
• Review payroll controls, escalation management, and payroll-related employee concerns.
• Partner with Finance and external providers to ensure payroll compliance and operational excellence.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives that enhance payroll accuracy, efficiency, and employee experience.
• Coach and develop Payroll Specialists to ensure high-quality service delivery and process compliance.

People Operations Leadership

• Lead and oversee People Operations Specialists responsible for employee lifecycle administration.
• Ensure smooth execution of:
  • Onboarding
  • Employee movements
  • Promotions
  • Transfers
  • Offboarding
  • Employee records management
  • HR systems transactions
• Establish operational service standards and ensure compliance with service level expectations.
• Monitor operational effectiveness and identify process improvement opportunities.
• Drive automation and simplification initiatives to enhance employee experience and operational efficiency.
• Develop and coach team members to build capability and strengthen succession readiness.

HR Systems & Employee Data

• Partner with People Operations teams to maintain HRIS data accuracy.
• Ensure integrity of employee master data across all HR systems.
• Support implementation and optimization of HR technology solutions and automation initiatives.
• Develop operational dashboards and reporting frameworks to support business decisions.

Policy & Process Improvement

• Support the development and maintenance of HR policies, procedures, and governance controls.
• Identify opportunities to simplify and standardize HR operational processes.
• Lead operational improvement projects in partnership with People & Culture leadership.

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Act as a trusted advisor to HR Business Partners, Finance, Payroll, and business leaders on Total Rewards matters.
• Build strong relationships with external benefits and benchmarking providers.
• Coordinate with Global Rewards COE and Corporate People teams on reward initiatives.
• Provide guidance and mentoring to HR and People Operations team members where appropriate.
• Lead or participate in cross-functional projects related to Total Rewards, HR Operations, and employee experience.

Qualifications & Experience

Required Experience

• Minimum 6-8 years of progressive Human Resources experience, including substantial exposure to:
  • Compensation
  • Benefits
  • Rewards & Recognition
  • Payroll governance
  • People Operations
• Minimum 2–3 years of leadership or supervisory experience managing HR Operations, Payroll, or Total Rewards team members.
• Experience within Shared Services, BPO, Professional Services, or multinational organizations preferred.
• Strong understanding of Philippine labor laws and statutory requirements impacting compensation, benefits, and payroll.
• Demonstrated experience in compensation benchmarking, job evaluation, and salary review cycles.
• Experience working with HRIS platforms and workforce analytics tools.
• Proven ability to manage multiple stakeholders and drive operational improvements.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills with high attention to detail.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential employee information with discretion.
• Sound understanding of internal equity, market competitiveness, and pay governance principles.
• Effective stakeholder communication skills within HR and cross-functional teams.
• Well-organized, process-oriented, and able to manage multiple deliverables within defined timelines.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field.
• Compensation or HR-related certifications are an advantage but not mandatory.